A Jump in the Lake
by miss mcGonagle
Summary: Albus takes Minerva's words literally to prove his love for her. Oneshot.


**Okay, here's the deal. This fic goes alongside my other fic, The Ancient and Dwindling House of Snape. It will still make sense if you haven't read that one, but I there's so few ADMM shipper momments in that one I wanted to let you all know what's going on behind the scenes. If you have read 'Ancient' you'll recognize the OCs and find some little tidbits that might not make it into the other one.**

**This is set eight years before 'Ancient', so eight years before the sixth book. **

**I love reviews. (No big hints there.)**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters created by JKR, however, the characters mentioned that you do not recognize from her books are of my own creation.

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Albus Dumbledore strolled down the halls of Hogwarts in a fine mood. It was August 26th; term would begin in less than a week and the castle would be swarming with students, but for now there was only the quite bustle of teachers returning to work after the summer holidays spent with their families. He had been very pleased to see his staff again; it was very lonely at Hogwarts during the summer months with his only company in the form of Hagrid, Filch, and the librarian, Madam Pince. Albus strongly suspected his librarian was only there because she had a thing for his one man cleaning crew.

There was one member of the staff that Albus had been particularly eager to see. He was on his way to her office right then.

Minerva McGonagall was organizing her desk when he entered and smiled up at him briefly before returning to the pile of parchment she had just dug from a drawer. Albus leaned against the door to her office and watched her silently.

Minerva had spent the summer with her niece Jizania and Jizania's family. The niece was a squib and her husband a wizard friendly muggle and Minerva always wore muggle clothing when visiting them. She had arrived at Hogwarts that morning and had yet to change into her robes. She seemed in no hurry to change; in fact she looked quite at ease in the flowing blue skirt and tailored white blouse she wore. Albus was pleased to see that she had abandoned her customary bun for the holidays and had tied it back loosely instead. Albus knew she never wore it down anymore and that there was a specific reason for this, he had asked her about it once and had never dared it a second time.

In the many years that he had known Minerva McGonagall, he had seen her hair down only a handful of times, mostly during her years as a student. But he knew that even now it was a thick mane of ebony tresses that he wanted desperately to run his fingers through.

The most fascinating thing about Minerva's hair was that even at the age of sixty-eight she did not have a single strand of gray. Albus had been completely gray for almost forty years. Minerva wasn't just lucky; it was a genetic trait. Her mother Charlotte, had been a Black before her marriage to George McGonagall. True to their name, all Blacks carried their ebony locks to the grave.

Minerva had told him this one day when he saw a picture of her parents. Next to the white-haired George, Charlotte Black seemed decades younger. This had caused hope to spring anew for Albus who thought that the giant gap in their ages might prevent Minerva from returning his affections. His hope had been dashed when she informed him that Charlotte had in fact been six years _older_ than her husband. Now Albus was constantly on the alert for any younger man that showed an interest in her.

"How was everyone?" Albus asked after a few moments of admiring her in silence.

"They're fine," she answered absently, still immersed in her work. "Vlad learned to walk on his own a while back, now he's all over the place."

"I missed you."

Minerva looked up from her work and smiled again. "You told me that this morning."

Albus smiled sheepishly.

"It's all right, I missed you too."

Perhaps it was the long summer days without Minerva by his side or even the way she smiled when she said she'd missed him as well, whatever it might have been it caused Albus to speak again without the usual restraint he tried to maintain while in her presence.

"Minerva, I miss you no matter how long you're away, I feel so lonely without you."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head warily.

"Albus-" she began warningly, but he cut her off.

"I probably shouldn't have said that," he said, a little afraid at his sudden daring, "but I can't go back now. Minerva, I love you."

"Oh Albus," said Minerva unhappily," why did you have to say that. Our life together has been so wonderful and you had to go and bring that into it!"

"I'm sorry, Minerva," said Albus truthfully, knowing that he could very well have just destroyed their friendship with one fell swoop. "But I can't help the way I feel about you."

"Well neither can I but we can't just forget ourselves and let our emotions take control!"

Albus blinked. "Does that mean you feel the same way, that you…love me too?"

Minerva groaned and covered her eyes with her hand. "Of course I do Albus, but-"

Albus ran around the desk and dropped to his knees in front of her. "Minerva," he pleaded, "we can make this work. I love you more than anything in this world! This wouldn't have to affect our careers in any way-"

"Albus please!" she exclaimed, close to tears. "I've pushed these feelings away for too long now, I just can't…"

"Minerva," he repeated, softly and in earnest. "I just want to make you happy."

"Then go jump in the lake!" She snapped, pulling herself together abruptly.

"Very well," said Albus calmly.

He rose to his feet and left her office swiftly.

"Albus!" she called after his retreating back.

He strode purposefully through the castle and out onto the front lawn. Minerva followed his, wanting to apologize for her harsh manner and perhaps salvage their friendship.

"Albus, won't you just let me explain?"

When he reached the edge of the lake he did not hesitate, but stepped onto the tiny dock and continued forward until he fell into the water.

"Albus!" Minerva shrieked, running to the edge of the lake and wading in to where the water reached her calves, the bottom of her skirt was soaked by the time he resurfaced. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"I'm merely fulfilling your request, my dear." He spoke seriously but his eyes were twinkling madly.

"Albus don't you dare do this to me!"

"Do what?"

"Try and weaken my resolve by sweeping me off my feet."

"Oh, my love I couldn't possibly. These robes are far too heavy; they'd weigh me down."

"I'm serious Albus."

"So am I. Seriously in love with you."

"Albus Dumbledore, sometimes you can be so bloody infuriating!"

"Minerva my dear, I think you ought to calm down." With that he grabbed her around the waist and yanked her into the water.

-

Severus Snape was just then arriving back at Hogwarts after his summer holidays and he watched this scene from the path leading up from the school gates with a look of deep disgust upon his face.

"Oh wonderful," he muttered sarcastically. "There'll be simply no living with them now."

With a final roll of his eyes he turned back to the castle, leaving the two lovers to splash about in private.


End file.
